Grapple

ABSTRACT

A grapple adapted for mounting on vehicles such as farm tractors includes an open-ended housing structure having top, bottom and spaced sidewalls together with a main medial supporting plate interconnected integrally with the top and bottom walls. The web plate and the top and bottom walls are formed of a section of a conventional I-beam. A pair of tines are pivotally mounted one on each side of the web plate on stub shafts near the open ends of the housing structure and motive means within the housing imparts operating movement to the tines. The tines are interconnected with each other by means of a system of coupling cranks affixed to the stub shafts and an interconnecting coupling link and the entire structure is supported by the vehicle on a transverse swivel bar supported by the tractor which is received within a swivel cavity formed atop the housing structure and rigidly secured thereto. The swivel cavity is arranged so as to accommodate angular movement or yaw of the grapple relative to the vehicle and its associated swivel bar.

United States Patent Blonsky GRAPPLE [72] Inventor: Joseph E. Blonsky,Atlanta, Ga.

[73] Assignee: American Pulpwood Association, New

York, NY.

22 Filed: Dec.7, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 95,514

[52] US. Cl ..294/88, 294/106 511 im. Cl ..B66c 3/16 [58] Field ofSearch..294/88, 101, 106, 113, 114

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,959,444 1 1/1960 Callender..294/88 3,513,998 5/1970 Stone ..294/88 Primary Examiner Evon C. BlunkAssistant Examiner-I. Kenneth Silverman AttorneyWalter M. Rodgers [451Jan.25 1972 ABSTRACT A grapple adapted for mounting on vehicles such asfarm tractors includes an open-ended housing structure having top,bottom and spaced sidewalls together with a main medial supporting plateinterconnected integrally with the top and bottom walls. The web plateand the top and bottom walls are formed of a section of a conventionall-beam. A pair of tines are pivotally mounted one on each side of theweb plate on stub shafts near the open ends of the housing structure andmotive means within the housing imparts operating movement to the tines.The tines are interconnected with each other by means of a system ofcoupling cranks affixed to the stub shafts and an interconnectingcoupling link and the entire structure is supported by the vehicle on atransverse swivel bar supported by the tractor which is received withina swivel cavity formed atop the housing structure and rigidly securedthereto. The swivel cavity is arranged so as to accommodate angularmovement or yaw of the grapple relative to the vehicle and itsassociated swivel bar.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJANZSIQIZ 3.637.250

SHEE-I 10F 3 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH E. BLONSKY ATTORNEY PATENTED JAN 2 5 I972 SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTOR.JOSEPH E. BLON SKY ATTORNEY PMENIEI] m2 51972 SHEEI. 3 OF 3 INVENTOR.JOSEPH E. BLONSKY ATTORNEY GRAPPLE Known grapple devices for handlingsmall and medium sized trees ordinarily are mounted on heavy dutycumbersome and expensive vehicles of one type or another. Such devicesare not only expensive to construct and maintain, such mechanisms arecumbersome and difficult to maneuver amid the stumps and other debriswhich usually attend felling operations, particularly for small trees.

Great quantities of small trees are never used under present harvestingpractices due in part to the heavy reliance which is placed on handlabor and the attendant hazards and expense of such practices. Accordingto this pivoting harvesting techniques are largely mechanized and thusimproved efficiency and lowered costs are made possible. Furthermore,safety of invention to operator is greatly enhanced,

According to this invention, a grapple is provided which is mechanicallystrong, economical to manufacture and maintain and which is readilymaneuverable due to its adaptability for mounting on ordinary readilyavailable farm tractors and on similar devices. More specifically, anI-beam section constitutes the basic supporting structure of the deviceand other elements are standard channels, plates, rods and the like.According to one feature of the invention, farm tractor hydraulicmechanisms may readily be utilized to operate a pair of fluid motorswhich impart operating movement to the grapple tines.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grappleconstructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an ordinary farm tractor showing thehydraulic system of the tractor in conjunction with the hydraulicmechanism utilized in conjunction with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a pair of fluid motors used to operate thetines of the grapple:

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a portion of a tractor on which thegrapple of this invention is mounted and in which the tines are depictedin closed tree enveloping position;

FIG. 5 is a cutaway perspective view somewhat similar to FIG. 1 andwhich shows the interrelation between the tines and the interioroperating mechanism for one tine and in which FIG. 6 is a perspectiveview of the mechanism by which the grapple of this invention is mountedon a conventional tractor.

In the drawings the numeral 1 generally designates the housing structureof the invention while the numerals 2 and 3 designate the two tines of agrapple constructed according to the invention. Tines 2 and 3 areprovided with knife edges as indicated at 2a in connection with tine 2.The numeral 4 generally designates supporting structure whereby thegrapple is movably supported by the associated vehicle and the numeral 5generally designates the structure which defines a swivel cavity atopthe housing 1 and which receives a portion of the supporting structure4.

The housing structure 1 comprises an I-beam generally designated by thenumeral 6 and which comprises a main medial supporting web plate 7together with top flange 8 and bottom flange 9 integrally formed withweb plate 7. Flange 8 constitutes the top wall of the housing structure1 while flange 9 constitutes the bottom wall of housing 1. As isobvious, particularly in FIG. 1, the housing structure is open-ended andthe sidewalls 10 and 11 are simply secured at their upper and loweredges to the side edges of top walls 8 and 9. This junction may beeffected by welding or by any other suitable means. Sidewall 10 isconstructed with a knife edge 10a along its lower edge.

For the purpose of affording a pivotal mounting for tines 2 and 3, apair of stub shafts l2 and 13 are journally mounted within aperturesformed in sidewalls 10 and 11 and in main medial supporting web plate 7.The tines 2 and 3 are respectively secured to shafts 12 and 13 bysuitable locking pins 14 and a pair of coupling cranks 16 and 17 areaffixed to and rotatable with their associated stub shafts 12 and 13 inany suitable manner as by locking pins welding or otherwise.

In order to insure that the tines 2 and 3 operate in unison and in thedesired direction, coupling cranks l6 and 17 are interconnected bycoupling link 18 which is pivotally connected to coupling crank 16 bycoupling pin 19 and to coupling crank 17 by coupling pin 20. Thus, as isobvious from FIG. 1, clockwise rotation of tine 3 about its stub shaft13 tends to impart transverse motion generally toward the left andupwardly to coupling link 18 and such motion is accompanied bycounterclockwise rotation of coupling crank 16 and of tine 2. In thismanner positive grappling action is insured.

For the purpose of imparting operating motion to the tines 2 and 3, apair of fluid motors 21 and 22 are mounted within housing 1 and areinterconnected with the crank arm portions of the tines. In FIG. 5 thecrank arm portion 23 may be seen as constituting an integral rigidlyaffixed extension of tine 2. A similar crank arm extension is affixed tothe tine 3 but such extension is not visible in the drawings. Crankextension 23 is interconnected by a suitable pivot pin which extendsthrough aperture 24 formed in crank arm 23 and through the aperture 25formed in a portion of fluid motor 22. The other end of fluid motor 22is pivotally interconnected with housing by bolt 26 which extendsthrough aperture 27 formed in fluid motor 22. Of course, fluid motor 22simply constitutes a cylinder in which an operating piston is mountedand fluid is supplied by schematically represented lines 28 and 29 tothe two ends of the fluid motor 22. Thus, operating motion is impartedto the clevis element 30 in which apertures 25 are provided in eitherdirection depending on the direction of fluid flow into the fluid motoras is obvious from FIG. 3, for example.

Fluid motor 21 is identical in construction to fluid motor 22 and ispivotally mounted at one end by bolt 31 which extends through apertures32 formed in the clevis element 33 constituting a portion of fluid motor21. Similarly a pin (not shown) is pivotally mounted in aperture 34formed in clevis 33 and interconnects with the crank not shown of tine3. Fluid is supplied to the opposite ends of the cylinder of fluid motor21 via conduits 36 and 37.

For the purpose of accommodating swinging movement of the tines 2 and 3,the end portions of the bottom wall 9 are cut away on opposite sides ofmain medial supporting web plate 7. as is obvious from FIGS. 1 and 5.

The control system for the grapple as shown schematically in FIGS. 2 and3 comprises a pump P mounted on the tractor and constituting an integralpart of the tractor hydraulic system, a tank T which also forms a partof the tractor hydraulic mechanism together with the control valve CV"having an operating L" which is arranged to supply fluid selectivelythrough conduits Cl and C2 to lines 28 and 29 and in turn to fluid motor22 and to lines 36 and 37 and in turn to fluid motor 21. Thus movementof the lever L" to one operating position supplies fluid pressurethrough conduit C1 to lines 29 and 36 to impart operating movement inone direction to the pistons of fluid motors 21 and 22. Likewise,movement of the control lever L to another operating position causesfluid pressure to be supplied to conduit C2 and lines 28 and 37 to causefluid motors 21 and 22 to operate in the opposite direction. By thismeans the tines 2 and 3 are positively swung toward open and towardclosed positions.

For the purpose of providing an articulated mounting for the grapple,the grapple mounting structure 4 is provided with a supporting swivelbar 38 pivoted at its ends in apertures 39 and 40 to support bars 41 and42. Support bar 41 is pivoted at 43 to the tractor and support bar 42 ispivoted at 44 to the tractor. Support bars 41 and 42 are stiffened byreinforcing bars such as is indicated at 41a in connection with supportbar 41.

Operating movement up and down to the support bars 41 and 42 is providedby lift arms 45 which are pivotally connected at 46 to bars 41 and 42.Conventional motive means associated with the tractor provides operatingforce to lift arms 45 and imparts swinging movement to arms 41 and 42about their centers 43 and 44.

In order to secure the arms 41 and 42 against substantial transversemovement, a pair of connecting elements such as chains 47 and 48 arerespectively connected to the tractor by brackets 49 and 50 and to theswing ends of the bars 41 and 42 by suitable means such as the bolt 51as shown in FlG. 6 and associated with chain 48.

For supporting the grapple, the supporting swivel bar 38 is pivoted atits ends in the apertures 39 and 40 and is received within a swivelcavity disposed below the transverse plate which in turn is mounted bybolts or rivets such as 52, 53, 54 and 55 to a pair of angle ironsections 56 and 57 which preferably are welded to the upper portions ofside plates and 11. A plurality of apertures 58 are formed in the swivelbar 38 and selectively receive a pin 59 inserted through an apertureformed in plate 5 and held down by a transverse retaining pin 60disposed above the upper end of pivot pin 59 and secured at its ends inapertures formed within brackets 61 and 62 which in turn are welded orotherwise secured atop the plate 5. As is obvious in FIG. 1 for example,the plate 5 is a section of a conventional channel having flanges 63 and64 which extend upwardly. Furthermore, structures 56 and 57 constituteordinary angle iron sections.

Suitable control mechanisms on the tractor are utilized to impart alowering force to lift arms 45 which action in turn causes the arms 41and 42 and the swivel bar 38 to be lowered. This action of course lowersthe entire housing structure.

After a group of logs are grasped by closing movement of tines 2 and 3,a lifting force is applied to lift arms 45 and the tractor moves to adesired location and knife edges 10a, 2a and 3a grip and hold the logsagainst longitudinal movement related to the grapple.

As is obvious from FIG. 1 angular motion or yaw of the grapple ispossible due to the fact that the swivel cavity defined by plate 5 andby angles 56 and 57 allows for rotary motion of the grapple about thepin 59. This action accommodates turning and maneuvering of the tractor.

From the above description, it is clear that by the invention, a grappleis provided which is easily fabricated and assembled and which requiresno special or costly jigs and fixtures.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A grapple for enveloping one or more elongated objects and comprisingtop, bottom and spaced sidewalls interconnected along their edges toform an open end housing structure, a main medial supporting web plateinterposed between said sidewalls and integrally connected along its topand bottom edges with said top and bottom walls, said webplate and saidtop and bottom walls constituting an l-beam section, a first grappletine pivotally mounted within said housing on one side of said web plateand near one end of said housing, a second grapple tine pivotallymounted within said housing on the other side of said web plate and nearthe other end of said housing, said bottom wall being cut away in theregions thereof immediately below the pivotal mountings for said tinesso as to accommodate swinging movement of said tines about their pivotalmountings toward and away from each other, and motive means disposed atleast partially within said housing and interconnected with said tinesfor imparting swinging movement thereto.

2. A grapple according to claim 1 wherein the pivotal mounting for eachof said tines comprises a transversely disposed stub shaft mounted inapertures formed in said sidewalls and in said web plate.

3. A grapple according to claim 2 wherein said tines are secured to andmovable with said stub shafts and wherein a coupling crank is fixedlymounted on each of said stub shafts and wherein a coupling link ispivotally connected at its ends to the swing ends of said couplingcranks respectively.

4. A grapple according to claim 3 wherein the angular disposition of theaxis of each of said coupling cranks relative to its associated stubshaft and tine and the length of said coupling link are such that saidtines swing in unison in opposite directions about their stub shafts ascenters.

5. A grapple according to claim 1 wherein a hollow open ended swivelcavity is formed atop said top wall and rigidly secured to said housingand wherein a generally horizontal supporting swivel bar is disposedwithin said swivel cavity in a manner to accommodate angular movement oryaw of said housing relative to said bar in a generally horizontal planeand wherein said swivel bar is supported at its ends on a vehicle.

6. A grapple according to claim 5 wherein said swivel cavity is definedby a pair of spacer bars secured to said sidewalls and arranged toprotrude above said top wall and by a transverse plate element securedto the upper edges of said spacer bars.

7. A grapple according to claim 6 wherein said plate element comprises achannel structure whose flanges extend upwardly.

8. A grapple according to claim 6 wherein said plate element and saidswivel bar are pivotally interconnected by a vertically disposed pivotpin.

9. A grapple according to claim 8 wherein a pair of spacedapart pinretaining brackets are secured to the upper surface of said plateelement on opposite sides of said pivot pin and wherein a transverseretaining pin is removably mounted in said brackets and disposed astridethe upper end of said pivot pin.

1. A grapple for enveloping one or more elongated objects and comprisingtop, bottom and spaced sidewalls interconnected along their edges toform an open end housing structure, a main medial supporting web plateinterposed between said sidewalls and integrally connected along its topand bottom edges with said top and bottom walls, said web plate and saidtop and bottom walls constituting an I-beam section, a first grappletine pivotally mounted within said housing on one side of said web plateand near one end of said housing, a second grapple tine pivotallymounted within said housing on the other side of said web plate and nearthe other end of said housing, said bottom wall being cut away in theregions thereof immediately below the pivotal mountings for said tinesso as to accommodate swinging movement of said tines about their pivotalmountings toward and away from each other, and motive means disposed atleast partially within said housing and interconnected with said tinesfor imparting swinging movement thereto.
 2. A grapple according to claim1 wherein the pivotal mounting for each of said tines comprises atransversely disposed stub shaft mounted in apertures formed in saidsidewalls and in said web plate.
 3. A grapple according to claim 2wherein said tines are secured to and movable with said stub shafts andwherein a coupling crank is fixedly mounted on each of said stub shaftsand wherein a coupling link is pivotally connected at its ends to theswing ends of said coupling cranks respectively.
 4. A grapple accordingto claim 3 wherein the angular disposition of the axis of each of saidcoupling cranks relative to its associated stub shaft and tine and thelength of said coupling link are such that said tines swing in unison inopposite directions about their stub shafts as centers.
 5. A grappleaccording to claim 1 wherein a hollow open ended swivel cavity is formedatop said top wall and rigidly secured to said housing and wherein agenerally horizontal supporting swivel bar is disposed within saidswivel cavity in a manner to accommodate angular movement or yaw of saidhousing relative to said bar in a generally horizontal plane and whereinsaid swivel bar is supported at its ends on a vehicle.
 6. A grappleaccording to claim 5 wherein said swivel cavity is defined by a pair ofspacer bars secured to said sidewalls and arranged to protrude abovesaid top wall and by a transverse plate element secured to the upperedges of said spacer bars.
 7. A grapple according to claim 6 whereinsaid plate element comprises a channel structure whose flanges extendupwardly.
 8. A grapple according to claim 6 wherein said plate elementand said swivel bar are pivotally interconnected by a verticallydisposed pivot pin.
 9. A grapple according to claim 8 wherein a pair ofspaced-apart pin retaining brackets are secured to the upper surface ofsaid plate element on opposite sides of said pivot pin and wherein atransverse retaining pin is removably mounted in said brackets anddisposed astride the upper end of said pivot pin.